Peter Platt is the sole advisor at Platt Investment Counsel, LLC, an independent firm based in Cary, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has 12 years of industry experience, having led his firm since 2013. Platt Investment Counsel provides discretionary portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a tactical asset allocation approach using a proprietary model, managing portfolios primarily with exchange-traded funds and no-load mutual funds, and offers institutional-style custodial and reporting services uncommon among similar independent advisers.

Nicholas Faulkner is a CFP® certificant with seven years of experience in the financial services industry. He is the sole advisor at Testament Wealth Management and has prior experience with firms including Dimensional Fund Advisors and Beacon Financial Strategies Corp. Testament Wealth Management provides wealth management and comprehensive financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, as well as retirement plan consulting to employers and plan sponsors. The firm employs a fee-only approach, combining passive and active investment vehicles within individualized asset-allocation strategies, and offers both ongoing portfolio management and limited-scope planning without imposing account minimums.

Adam Vega is a CFP® professional with 16 years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Avance Private Wealth LLC and has previously worked at Goldman Sachs, Gladstone Wealth Partners, Mercer Allied Company, CETERA Advisor Networks, and Girard Securities. In addition to advising, he is involved in insurance sales, dedicating approximately 10% of his time to this activity. Avance Private Wealth LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities. The firm manages portfolios primarily on a discretionary basis, utilizing modern portfolio theory, fundamental analysis, and charting techniques, and offers a broad range of investment instruments alongside pension consulting and insurance products.

William Bunch II is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, with 10 years of experience in financial advising. He is the sole advisor at Maze Financial Planning in Chapel Hill, NC, where he has worked since 2016. Maze Financial Planning provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals as well as private foundations, charitable organizations, and participant-directed retirement plans. The firm emphasizes long-term, diversification-centered strategies based on Modern Portfolio Theory and offers fiduciary plan advice, participant education, and monitoring of plan investments.

Leonard Brooks is the sole advisor at Brooks Financial of North Carolina, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 28 years of industry experience. He has worked with firms including Cetera and H.D. Vest Advisory Services. Brooks also owns a tax preparation and filing service and serves as an agent for a property and casualty insurance agency. Brooks Financial of North Carolina provides financial planning and non-discretionary portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering retirement-plan services and insurance planning. The firm manages accounts with client-confirmed trades and uses both fundamental and technical analysis, disclosing a fiduciary duty for retirement advice and incorporating AI tools under supervision.

William Newcomb is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 16 years of experience in financial advising. He founded Newcomb Financial Advisors, LLC in Chapel Hill, NC, where he has been the sole advisor since 2010. Newcomb Financial Advisors is an independent, fee-only firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, and small businesses with financial planning and investment management. The firm employs a core-and-satellite investment approach focused on strategic asset allocation, managing approximately $13.9 million across 14 clients, primarily on a discretionary basis.

Edward Fulbright is the principal and sole advisor at Fulbright Financial Consulting, PA in Durham, North Carolina. He holds the PFS™ designation and Series 63 license, with 10 years of experience in financial advising and over 40 years managing his CPA firm, Fulbright & Fulbright, CPA, PA, where he provides accounting, tax, and management consulting services. Fulbright Financial Consulting is a fee-only advisory firm serving individual investors, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs a Functional Asset Allocation approach that integrates interest-earning assets, real estate, and equities, and emphasizes low-cost index funds and ETFs, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services.

I didn't set out to become a financial advisor. I spent 18 years in the music industry as a recording and touring audio engineer. What I saw again and again were hardworking, independent people — musicians, artists, freelancers, and other creative professionals — who wanted the same things everyone wants: stability, a plan, a better financial future. But because their income was unconventional, they felt like the financial industry wasn't designed for them. Honestly, they were right. So in 2019 I launched my business, got my CFP® designation, and built a practice specifically for people who've spent their lives and careers outside the mainstream. I work with artists, musicians, authors, and other independent-minded professionals with unconventional careers and the financial complexity that comes with them. I offer two types of services: financial planning and investment management. Financial planning means identifying the two or three things that would make the biggest difference in your financial life right now and building a clear, actionable plan around them. Investment management means taking that completely off your plate — so you never have to think about it, worry about it, or wonder if you're doing it right. The work behind the scenes is rigorous. The experience on your end should feel like talking to someone who genuinely gets it. I live in Durham, NC with my family and our dog Yoshi. I have a degree in mathematics and grew up on a farm in Michigan. The through line: I've always figured things out on my own terms — and I have a lot of respect for people who do the same. If any of this resonates, I'd love to connect.

John Bland is a financial advisor with Diversified Investment Services LLC in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Blackridge Asset Management LLC and Commonwealth Financial Network. Bland is also a licensed insurance agent offering insurance product sales alongside his advisory services. Diversified Investment Services LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients, utilizing a range of analysis methods and investment strategies. The firm offers discretionary management, regular portfolio monitoring, and quarterly reporting, with portfolios that may include mutual funds, ETFs, fixed income, real estate funds, annuities, and non-U.S. securities.

Ryan Bannister is a financial advisor at 1Up Financial Advisors LLC in Cary, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. Prior to founding 1Up Financial Advisors, he worked at Duke University Hospital and Carr, Riggs & Ingram. Bannister is also a member of Oak City Investment Group, LLC, a real estate investment company. 1Up Financial Advisors LLC provides investment management and financial planning primarily for individual clients, offering tailored portfolio management, written financial plans, and both ongoing and hourly planning engagements. The firm integrates accounting services such as in-house tax preparation and bookkeeping, along with educational seminars and consulting for content creators, combining passive and active investments with strategic asset allocation.

Jesse Bradin is a financial advisor with J Bradin Financial LLC in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and nine years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Gradient Investments, JD Melberg Financial, Appreciation Financial, and Finely Finished. Bradin is also a licensed life insurance agent affiliated with his firm. J Bradin Financial LLC is a state-registered, solo investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning, investment management, insurance review, and educational seminars, using a discretionary model investing approach alongside possible third-party manager recommendations.

David Lundberg is a financial advisor with Awaken Financial Designs LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and eight years of industry experience. His prior positions include roles at Merrill Lynch and Equitable Advisors. Lundberg is also involved in fixed insurance and fixed annuity sales through Awaken Financial Designs. Awaken Financial Designs provides financial planning and consulting services, offering discretionary asset management through third-party model portfolios. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients with customized financial plans and a structured service calendar, using a combination of hourly and fixed fees for planning and delegating portfolio management to selected sub-advisors.

Bert Bennett IV is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He is the principal of West Fork Wealth Management LLC, an independent firm he joined in 2024 after working at Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and Morgan Stanley. Outside of his advisory role, Bennett teaches summer camp at Carolina Friends School in Durham, NC. West Fork Wealth Management provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth families, non-profits, endowments, trusts, small businesses, and estates. The firm manages portfolios tailored to clients’ investment goals and risk tolerance, employing fundamental, technical, cyclical analysis, and modern portfolio theory.

Ohan Kayikchyan is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience. He is the principal of Alohana Financial, LLC, a fee-only registered investment adviser based in Durham, NC. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Wells Fargo Bank NA. Alohana Financial provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, employing an asset-allocation approach grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory. The firm uses a combination of passive and active investment vehicles and offers ESG customization upon client request.

Benjamin Birken is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving as the principal advisor at Pisces Financial Advisors, LLC in Chapel Hill, NC. He previously worked at Woodward Financial Advisors, Inc. for 12 years and holds a leadership role at Holistiplan, LLC, a financial services software company, where he is Vice-President for Customer Success and Engagement. Pisces Financial Advisors provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses. The firm’s investment approach focuses on strategic asset allocation using low-cost, diversified mutual funds and ETFs with attention to diversification, cost control, and tax efficiency.

Gary Balunas is a financial advisor with Unlimited Timing Service Inc in Creedmoor, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has worked at Unlimited Timing Service since 2007 and also has a long tenure with Comprehensive Asset Management beginning in 2003. In addition to advisory work, he is registered as an insurance agent in Florida. Unlimited Timing Service Inc provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm applies a market-timing approach with daily portfolio reviews and manages accounts on the Interactive Brokers platform, operating as a solo practitioner model where the principal assumes full responsibility for investment decisions within agreed client guidelines.

Christopher Harp is the sole advisor at CH Capital Management, an independent registered investment adviser based in Chapel Hill, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 22 years of industry experience, having led CH Capital Management since 2010. CH Capital Management provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, endowments, charitable organizations, and pension or profit-sharing plans. The firm typically serves clients with substantial assets and combines a solo advisor model with institutional-style client relationships, outsourcing operational functions to third-party providers.

Kathleen Scharl is the principal advisor at Scharl Advisory Services, Inc. in Durham, NC, holding CFP® and Series 63 designations with 23 years of industry experience. She has led her independent practice since 1989. Outside of advising, she is involved in tax preparation, bookkeeping, and small business consulting through Scharl & Associates, Inc., primarily during tax season. Scharl Advisory Services, Inc. provides fee-only financial planning and investment management to individuals and small businesses, focusing on retirement, tax, cash-flow, education funding, and estate planning. The firm employs a strategic, core-and-satellite asset allocation using no-load or low-load funds, and operates on fixed and hourly fees rather than asset-based charges.

Lisa Hodges is a financial advisor at Shift to Impact with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in marketing consulting and advisory services prior to her current role. Hodges leads Shift to Impact, an independent firm based in Durham, NC. Shift to Impact is a fee-only financial planning firm serving individuals and families who seek to align their finances with social justice and environmental values. The firm emphasizes values-based investing and offers comprehensive planning, guidance on charitable giving and employee benefits, as well as educational workshops and speaking events, without managing client portfolios or exercising trading discretion.

Thomas Tolley is the managing member of Tolley Financial Group, LLC, an independent investment advisory firm based in Raleigh, NC. He holds Series 65 and 66 licenses and has 15 years of industry experience, including nine years at Copperleaf Capital, LLC. Tolley Financial Group manages approximately $122 million for about 170 clients, serving individuals, high-net-worth investors, and pension and profit-sharing plan sponsors. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, using a mix of fundamental and technical analysis and both passive and active investment instruments.